The EU-Passworld project, an initiative by the European Union, offers refugees the chance to pursue a master’s degree at KU Leuven.
Six refugee students from Syria and South Sudan have completed their studies and three more will start in the coming academic year.
The initiative aims to provide talented refugees with a secure and regulated pathway to study in a third country. Besides Belgium, Ireland and Italy are also participating. The project is funded by the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
In Belgium, the project is a collaboration between the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Caritas International, Fedasil, and KU Leuven. Three other universities will join KU Leuven: UCLouvain this year, and UNamur and ULiège in 2025.
“I am very grateful for the opportunities this project has given me,” said Mohammed Hussain, who completed his master’s degree in Social Sciences last year. He will continue with a postgraduate degree in the coming academic year.
“I made many friends in Leuven who helped me start a new chapter in my life,” he added. “This master’s degree opens doors to a future I never imagined possible.”
